No Charges Against Adults Who Tormented Girl To Suicide Via

[Dragon]

Monday December 3, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
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A few weeks ago we brought you the tragic story of a young Missouri girl who was driven to suicide by the online taunts of a former friend named Josh Evans on her MySpace page. But when it was revealed that "Josh Evans" was a character made up by a neighbour's employee to discover what the youngster was saying about the boss's daughter, there was outrage.

Megan Meier's family broke apart after the 13-year-old took her own life. Her parents have split up, amid much acrimony with those who live nearby.

But now the local prosecutor has ruled no charges will be laid in the girl's death. Because no matter how responsible her family may feel the neighbours are, they didn't break any laws. County Prosecutor Jack Banas admits there simply isn't a statue that meets the criteria for laying a criminal count.

He also can't prove the mother was the only one who had access to the profile or that she sent the messages. Investigators determined that the 18-year-old worker actually set up the page, and police haven't been able to speak with that person, after the witness was sent to hospital for psychiatric treatment.

The case has prompted calls for changes to the laws in the U.S. to strengthen prohibitions against Internet harassment. But for now, it won't help Megan Meier, her distraught family or those who feel their pain.

Canada's Criminal Code already contains provisions for punishing people who communicate online in a manner that causes others to fear for their own safety. And the Human Rights Commission can also take up the case of those being harassed, depending on what was said. There are also libel laws that apply to what's written about a person online.

And under new Ontario rules introduced last April, kids can be expelled from school if they're found posting bullying comments or videos online.

This story prompted a major outcry from some CityNews viewers and one even started an online petition to plead for justice for Megan.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Meier/petition.html
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Site Link Here http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17328.aspx

[Dragon]

Law Created After Teen's Suicide May Be Used To Help The Woman Accused Of Driving Her To It
Monday December 10, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
It was a story that sparked outrage and frustration, especially after officials confirmed no laws had been broken. But now it's taken another strange twist, and the outcome could be the most ironic part of this terrible tale yet.

For the past few weeks, we've been telling you the tragic story of Megan Meier, a 13-year-old Missouri girl who committed suicide after being taunted online by a handsome boy named Josh Evans on her MySpace page. When it was revealed that a neighbour had allegedly created the fictional hunk to see what was being said about her own daughter online, the victim's parents were furious.

But because no laws were broken, there wasn't much police could do.

Lori Drew, the woman accused of being behind that fake I.D., has denied through her lawyer that she knew what was going on, noting an 18-year-old employee created the false profile. But a strange thing has been happening since then. Someone purporting to be Drew has started a fake blog on the net, using a first person account to justify "her" actions.

The web log, including one message that was titled "Megan Had It Coming", began appearing on blogger.com two weeks ago, and contained cold and calculated prose that appeared to be from Drew herself. "The final word from authorities has come down that there will be no charges, so I don't have to remain silent," one passage reads. "There's no point in hiding anymore. The internet has made it clear that mob revenge must prevail, even if there's no justice in it. So be it.

"Here I am internet. Come get me.

"It's time I dropped the charade. Yes, I made this blog. Yes, I'm Lori Drew."

A later message was equally disturbing. "My daughter had nothing to do with this," the writer posing as Drew maintained. "Everyone needs to leave her alone. None of you can possibly know her involvement, and none of you can possibly know what she's gone through. She's just a kid. She doesn't deserve these brutal verbal attacks. Please stop."

Both Drew and her lawyer insist she didn't post anything and authorities believe her. But the response from the public has been understandably vitriolic towards the woman and she now fears for her family's safety. Attorney Jim Briscoe has contacted blogger.com owner Google and asked them to take the posts down. The company is reviewing the allegation and so is the local sheriff's department.

And you may not believe what comes next. The town of Dardenne Prairie, where this bizarre drama has been unfolding since October 2006, rushed a law into existence designed to prevent harassment over the Internet. And the first person it could be used to protect may be Lori Drew herself.

"I would say that would be a possibility, that they could be the first," Mayor Pam Fogarty admits. "A law is a law is a law," she concludes. "You can't discriminate."

Site Link Here http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17527.aspx

[duckducklotr]

um........... WHAT THE HELL IS THE WORLD COMMING TOO?????

[mager]

People now and days don't think about or know about how reality is. What we all do is done by fear or conscience (just my thought). People who say that "she had it comming", are just full of crap, I mean really, had it been their child, I would love to see their reaction. This world is coming to insanity where people are full of s***, although it is not wrong to think what they think. I just think they don't have neither conscience nor experience the pain of losing someone dear, until they lose that certain someone.